Keep protesting, but don’t play into Trump’s hands
Time and again, President Donald Trump has done, or tried to do, things so far outside our social and political norms that he is damaging the fabric of American life. We are consistently caught flatfooted, mouths agape at his actions.
Just on Tuesday, he was again politicizing the Census. Before that, he sent mysterious militarized forces into Portland, Oregon, where they are behaving like secret police in a banana republic. Before that . . . well, you know what he has been doing. We live with it on the news every day.
We need to be in the streets, nonviolently, protesting what he is doing and what the GOP is allowing him to do. We need to be in the streets on the scale of the Women’s March at the very least.
But I think we can stop pulling down statues. I think that point has been made, and further progress should be achieved at the local level by speaking up in city council meetings.
And definitely stop breaking windows, turning over police cars and setting fires. That simply plays into Trump’s hands and give him an excuse to send forces into any city he chooses.
Consider: Is Trump trying to create unrest? If there is enough unrest and violence over the rest of the summer, would Trump try to delay the election? Would the GOP go along with him?
Donald Trump has shown us, over and over, we have to consider the unthinkable — before he does it.
Michael Hart, West Ridge